Tom Anstett

How did I go from a quiet fifteen-year-old scoring a basket for the opponent to being a Golden Apple nominee and a two-time inductee into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame? As it has turned out, Cinderella had nothing on me.

Now, at age 66 with 42 years of classroom teaching, leadership, and coaching under my belt, I share the primary benefits and pitfalls of those marvelous professions.

I am a prime example of being both lucky and good because some of my more notable events have been a combination of both. Lucky in terms of the mentors who fell my way, mentors who put up obstacles and goals, inspirations and roadblocks. People such as (the late) Bill Schaefer, my high school P.E teacher and basketball coach who molded me; my supervisor in my student-teaching experience in 1973, Richard Geist, who lit an unknown ember for the profession of teaching; and my wife Susan who loves me and has taught me there was more to life than a game; just to name a few. Good in terms of my own decisions that led to my ascending some heights in teaching and coaching, heights climbed to their peaks due to my relentless dedication and curiosity. Thus, I revolve some of my own experiences around the teaching-coaching tips I explain in my new book, Stop Whining: Start Winning (for teachers and coaches). Moreover, even if you are not a teacher or a coach, you will find insights about life and leadership woven into these pages.